La Famiglia (The Family) - by Sammy1026 & Mari217
by Mari217
Summary: A collaboration brought to you by Sammy & Mari. Steve and Catherine become part of Danny's New Jersey Famiglia by meeting a very special member of his family.


**_Authors' notes:_**

_After having such a great time co-authoring with Sammy on our first collaboration, we were thrilled to find REQUESTS coming in for more. Never fear, to quote Bogart "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Sammy's made this such fun and our writing blends so seamlessly we forget who wrote what lines sometimes. Working with her has made it a more joyous experience and has made me a better writer._

_Hugs, Pittsburgh, from Jersey! Mari_

_First I have to say a big thanks to my brilliant writing partner, Mari. She inspired me to post my first fic in this fandom and has been incredibly supportive and encouraging of every fic since. When she asked me to co-write something with her I was honored. And stunned. And mostly honored. Mari makes the entire writing experience fresh and fun. She is an absolute joy to work with and her enthusiasm is contagious, even via forward to lots more of these in the future and thanks to everyone for your lovely reviews. Your requests for more are humbling and truly appreciated._

_Hugs right back at ya in snowy Jersey, from a surprisingly balmy PA_

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><p><strong>La Famiglia<br>****_By Sammy & Mari_**

.

**Nutley, New Jersey**

"Nonna! We're here! Happy early birthday!" Grace sang out as she grabbed her great grandmother in a fierce hug.

"Grazia! Mio bambino! You look even more beautiful in person than on that skype." She enveloped Grace in a hug and said to Danny over the child's head, "She has your good looks, gorgeous boy."

"Thanks, Nonna, but you're smothering my kid, there." Danny smiled and Grace giggled. Grace and Danny skyped with their New Jersey family regularly, but she'd missed her Great Grandma's hugs. Nonna hugged like Danno, like she was never going to let go.

Nonna gave Grace one last squeeze, then turned her attention to her grandson. "Come here and let me look at you." She said as she placed her hands on Danny's shoulders and looked him over from head to toe. "You haven't been eating right. I can tell these things. Come in and sit and I'll make you both something to eat."

"We're fine, Nonna. We ate on the plane." Danny insisted.

"Nonsense." His grandmother brushed him off. "That's not real food. You must be hungry after such a long trip, let me make you a bite to eat."

"I guess we could eat a little something." Danny finally gave in. He knew arguing wouldn't do him any good.

"Your parents are going to be sorry they missed seeing you and Grace." Nonna said as she moved towards the kitchen. "If they'd known you were coming sooner they might have been able to reschedule their cruise."

"It was a last minute decision." Danny followed her. "We'd planned on coming for your party in two weeks but then Grace's cheerleading competition got moved and…well…we didn't want to miss the celebration altogether so we decided to come out early and see you."

"Well, I'm glad you did. And now I've got you both all to myself." Nonna moved around the kitchen gathering ingredients for what Danny was positive was more than a little something.

"Don't go to any trouble, Nonna." He sighed.

"It's no trouble, Dear Boy." Nonna beamed. "No trouble at all."

/

When Danny saw Steve's name on his caller I.D. he excused himself to talk in the living room while Grace filled her great grandmother in on her latest adventures.

"So what's the bottom line?" Even through the phone, Danny could hear Steve losing his patience.

"We're here till Monday at least. The emergency appeal hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. The DA says it won't go anywhere and we'll be back on a flight to Hawaii by noon."

"So you and Catherine have a free weekend in New York City? That sounds fun."

"_What?!_" Grace overheard Danny's words as she entered the living room and immediately began peppering him with questions. "Uncle Steve and Aunty Cath are in the city? _Really_?! Are they coming _here_?!" She tugged at his arm with a hopeful look on her face.

"Sure, we came with a plan to be here one night and now it's going to be four." Steve sighed. "We've already checked out, the hotel we were in is booked up. We've gotta find another hotel. Preferably not a four hundred dollar a night one; maybe in Jersey?"

"I'll go ask Nonna if they can come for dinner." Grace said excitedly.

"Of course they can come for dinner, tesoro mio." Nonna entered the room wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Who are we talking about?"

Danny laughed at his Nonna's eagerness to feed anyone she could.

"Uncle Steve and Aunty Cath!" Grace said excitedly, and then turned to Danny. "Tell Uncle Steve Nonna said they can come for dinner! They _have_ to come for dinner!"

"Your partner and his girlfriend are _here_? In New Jersey? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just found out, Nonna." Danny turned his attention back to the phone "Grace said you have to come for dinner." Danny relayed Grace's message to Steve, then relayed Steve's message back. "He doesn't want Nonna to go to any extra trouble."

"It's no trouble at all." Nonna insisted. "Go pick them up. I'll set two extra plates."

"Nonna is setting extra plates." Danny told Steve. He knew full well t hat 'setting extra plates' meant preparing more food, likely enough to feed the New York Jets, but he kept that to himself. "Don't make me put Grace on the phone. You know you can never say no to her." Grace beamed.

Danny could hear the muffled sounds of Steve talking to Catherine. "I told Catherine your Grandmother invited us for dinner and her eyes lit up like Christmas."

"Well, that's it then. If Grace and Catherine are _both_ for it _you_ don't stand a chance." Danny laughed. "I'll come pick you up." He checked his watch. "Grab a cab, and meet me in front of Port Authority on 8th. The second building on the left. Even if I badge 'em I can only stop for a second or two so I'll call you when I get out of the tunnel. There won't be much traffic now so I'll be there in 30 minutes."

"Yea! Grace gave a little jump and clapped her hands. "Wait till you meet Uncle Steve, Nonna! He's the coolest. Aunty Cath, too. You'll like her, she's so much fun and she's a great cook."

/

****55 minutes later****

"Grace!" Danny called "We're here, Monkey!"

Grace came dashing out from the kitchen squealing "Uncle Steve!" and Steve had a split second to catch the catapulting girl flying into his arms.

"Gracie! Hey, Sweetheart." He returned her hug and held her while she leaned over, still in his arms, to greet Catherine.

"Isn't this _cool_? You get to meet Nonna, _and_ see New Jersey!" She chattered as he put her down.

Following Grace out of the kitchen was a petite woman with warm brown eyes and Danny's smile. Danny began with "Nonna, this is Catherine and my partner, Steve…"

Catherine's "Nice to meet you, Ma'am." was cut off by a hug.

"Sweetheart, you must be so tired, all this traveling…" She turned to Steve "and the famous Steve. Give me a hug, boy!" Steve stepped forward and Danny snickered as his five-foot-nothing grandmother grabbed his partner in a hug. "Welcome, welcome, both of you." Looping an arm through each of theirs, she pulled Steve and Catherine down the hall as Steve shot a 'What the hell?' Look at Danny.

"She's gonna feed you till you explode, Babe, don't fight it." Danny laughed.

"Danny! Shush, let me do what I do best." She ushered them into the kitchen where there was a spread of Italian cold cuts, breads and cheeses. That was an anti-pasta she explained. "Sit, sit."

When they did, with Grace happily perched on Steve's knee, Nonna stepped up and held Steve's chin in her hand. "Look at that _face_. Quanto sei _bella_!"

"That means 'you're so handsome'" Grace giggled. She knew a lot of Nonna's phrases.

Catherine grinned at the way Steve's ears pinked at the complement, but then it was her turn to blush when Nonna said "…and, you, beautiful girl, what're your favorite foods? Hmmm? You need to eat. With that figure, you can eat whatever you want. Grace was right, you're _gorgeous_."

"Aunty Cath is smart too, Nonna." Grace said proudly. "She was a lieutenant in the Navy and now she's Five-0 like Danno, Uncle Steve, Uncle Chin and Aunty Kono. She can always help me with my math homework even when Danno and Uncle Steve can't figure it out." Catherine smiled at her affectionately. "And she's strong. She's teaching me self-defense. I can't show you in the house because when I tried to show Danno at our house we broke a vase, but maybe we can go outside later and I'll show you in the yard."

"I can't wait to see, Bambina." Nonna tousled her hair.

"And Uncle Steve is the strongest person in the world besides Danno. And he can hold his breath for so long Danno starts to worry he drowned. And sometimes he lets me help him grill. And he takes me surfing. And he always catches the bad guys." Grace rattled on as if she was reciting Steve's resume.

"If you love them, my dear Grace, then I love them too. Now, let's eat."

/

"Hey Gracie, Catherine has something for you." Steve tossed over his shoulder as he and Danny cleared the table for Nonna.

"You do?" She looked from Steve to Catherine. "Thank you." Grace smiled.

"Yeah. Go grab my purse in the living room and bring it … here." Catherine laughed as her last word was lost as Grace was already out of the room.

"Here it is!" Grace handed Catherine her purse and bounced on the balls of her feet in the same motion Danny made when he was impatient.

"Well, I stopped at Saks, how could I not? Here you are, Grace." Catherine handed her a small bag.

"How cool! Thank you!" Grace spun around "Nonna, look, earrings. Ohhh and they're Alex & Ani." Grace beamed at the popular brand. "Look, Danno." She turned back to hug Catherine.

Steve grinned "She got the same pair."

"No way! Really?"

"Really." Catherine pulled her hair back to show Grace the small gold earrings she was wearing. "I got Kono a pair, too. They all have different designs. Mine have an anchor, because Uncle Steve and I are Navy; Kono's have a compass, because we're so glad she's found her way home to us; and yours have an endless knot, because we're all tied together as ohana."

"I'm gonna put them on right now. Then we can match!" Grace ran for the bathroom.

"Thank you, Cath. That was very sweet of you." Danny told her. "But I keep telling you guys not to spoil her…"

"Danny, stop. I wasn't going to Saks 5th Avenue and not getting a little something for her and Kono. Don't be silly. Actually, we got in and out of there pretty quickly."

"Quickly?" Steve looked incredulous.

"Steve, we weren't in there more than an hour.

"An hour is not quickly, Catherine." He grimaced.

"Suck it up, Babe. It only gets better." Danny scoffed and dodged the sponge his partner tossed at his head just as Grace came back into the kitchen.

"Look!" Grace showed off her new gift. "I _love_ them." She hugged Catherine, "Thanks again!" She sat cross legged at Catherine's feet. "Can you braid my hair so they show?"

"Sure" Catherine's delight at the simple request was infectious and Steve grinned along with her.

"Here." Grace held a brush up over her shoulder. "Tell me when you're ready for the elastic."

Nonna had lived long enough to know just how close Grace had to feel toward the pretty young woman for her to make that request, and for them to interact in such familiar, routine way. She smiled knowingly at Steve until he cleared his throat and broke eye contact. The silent exchange between his best friend and grandmother caused a bark of laughter from Danny.

/

****After dinner …****

"Ma'am, we…"

"What did I say about that, _Steven_?" Nonna said Steve's name the same way Danny did and it made Catherine chuckle.

"Sorry, _Nonna_." He grinned. "We can go to a hotel. We'd planned on flying out on the red eye tonight, so we checked out of the hotel in Manhattan before going to the lockup to take custody of the prisoner, but we can stay somewhere close to Newark. Then, on Monday we can grab a cab back and go right to the airport after the hearing."

"Hotel!" Nonna huffed. "Nonsense. _No one_ is going to any_ hotel_."

"Nonna…" Danny began.

"Daniel!" Nonna waved her hand. "You do not put your _brother_ in a hotel. Not in this family, you don't. Have you been gone so long you forgot that?" Her look dared him to defy her wishes.

Danny gave up and gave in. He could never argue with his grandma, not over a curfew when he'd slept over her house at age ten and not as grown man. "Okay, you win." He chuckled "Steve, let's go get your stuff."

Steve stood and looked between Catherine, Danny and Nonna "Really, we can't."

Nonna pointed at him. "You, Nipote, help Danny with the bags."

Steve looked to Catherine for support and saw her wavering.

"In the morning, I'll make frittatas for breakfast." Nonna smiled.

"Get the bags, Steve." Catherine said.

"Ha! Good girl, Catherine." Nonna winked at her.

**/**

At the car Steve asked, "Danny, what'd that mean?"

"Huh?" Danny was halfway in the trunk of the car.

"Nonna, she called me 'Nipote', what's it mean?"

"Ahhh Italian's not in your SUPERseal language skill repertoire, huh?" Danny smirked.

"You know it's not."

"Hmmm…"

"Danny!"

"Grandson." Danny caught Steve's look. "Grandson, Babe. It means grandson." Danny slapped Steve on the shoulder, grabbed Catherine's go bag and led him back into the house.

Nonna made her way down the hall; arms filled with clean towels, and ran into Steve and Danny coming back with the bags.

She stopped in her tracks and looked at the two men with a very serious face.

"Steven, you're in with Danny. You can drop your bag there." She indicated the first room on the left. "Take Catherine's bag and put it in with Grace."

"Nonna…" Danny tried to interrupt.

"Please remember to observe the house rule, which Daniel remembers well from his teenage years. When two people of the opposite sex are in the same room, everyone needs to have at least one foot flat on the floor."

"Nonna…" Danny tried again.

"Yes?" Her face was the picture of innocence.

"Steve and Catherine…they…live…what I mean is …" Danny found himself tongue-tied.

"Spit it out, Caro."

"I'm just saying…" Danny started.

Steve interrupted. "That'll be fine, Ma'am."

Nonna burst out laughing. "So smart and handsome, the two of you, but still so easily taken in by an old lady." Steve and Catherine are in the room at the end of the hall. The _far_ end … away from everyone else, especially the Bambini."

Danny laughed as he leaned in and kissed his grandmother on the cheek, "You never change, Nonna."

"And I never will." Nonna's eyes danced. "Here, take these clean towels with you. And remember," Nonna whispered over her shoulder as she headed towards the kitchen. "Any babies conceived on New Jersey soil are Jersey for life."

Catherine came up to them just in time to hear Nonna's declaration and she was glad the delightful little woman was too far down the hall to see her blush. "Wow, Nonna's something."

"Yes she is." Danny chuckled. "She's the best. We didn't realize until we were older how lucky we were to have her, growing up." Danny's eyes followed his grandmother affectionately. "But she's a … handful … sometimes." He grinned. "And she loves you two. Now, Cath, I can understand, but _you_…" He turned to face Steve "have clearly blinded that sweet old lady with some ninja trick because she's totally taken with you, too." He turned away from his smiling partner then called over his shoulder. "_and_ you're on her radar, Babe, so be … careful …"

"Radar?" Steve questioned

"You're family now, or as she'd say, _famiglia,_ and she'll be gunning for the next generation." Steve's mouth opened but no sound came out. Danny turned back to face them fully. "She once told my mom to abscond with my sister's birth control pills because they were waiting 'too long' to give her more great grandchildren. She was only half joking. So, I repeat, be careful…" and he walked away chuckling, toward Grace's room, leaving his friends to retire to theirs.

/

****Guest room 1 a.m. ****

"Steve, wake up, you need to put something on and I need one of your T-shirts."

"Why?" Steve mumbled sleepily.

"We fell asleep. We can't sleep like this all night. We're not home and you never know."

"S'okay. C'mere" He threw an arm across her waist and buried his face in her neck.

Catherine huffed out a small laugh. "No. It's not okay. For one, I need to use the bathroom and I don't want to get re-dressed." She poked his ribs until his eyes opened and she chuckled. For someone with razor sharp reactions, when there was no threat, Steve McGarrett was not an easy person to wake up. That made her smile. It always made her smile to see Steve relaxed.

Almost fully awake, Steve slid out of bed and, grabbing his go bag, fished out a pair of briefs. Pulling them on, he gave Catherine a lascivious look and said "I prefer when you're trying to get me _out_ of my clothes, and, for the record," His eyes ran over her body as she stood to take a pair of bikinis out of her own bag. "kinda like what you're wearing now …"

She smirked. "Of course you do, but I don't plan on running to the hall bathroom naked, so…" She motioned for him to give her the T-shirt he was holding.

He tossed her a well-worn SEALs T. "Here. You don't have one of your own?"

"We were scheduled to be away one night. We were at the Ritz. I didn't bring anything to sleep in." Catherine pulled the shirt over her head. It reached almost to her knees. She leaned toward Steve as he got back into bed and whispered "Didn't think I'd need to." Dodging his attempt to grab her, she laughed, and checking the hall, slipped out to the bathroom.

She returned to find Steve sprawled out, half on her pillow. She slid into bed, gently shoved him over, and pillowing her head on his shoulder, fell asleep.

/

****Next morning****

Catherine stood in the doorway and watched Nonna happily fuss around the kitchen, gathering all the ingredients for the frittata, humming softly to herself. "Can I help?" She asked.

"Oh, that's very sweet of you, Bella, but you don't need to do that. You must still be exhausted. You don't need to lift a finger."

"It would be my pleasure to help. I used to cook with my grandmother all the time. I really miss it."

Nonna wrapped Catherine in a hug. "So adorable you are. Okay, you can be in charge of beating the eggs. Use the whole dozen. Eggs for frittata have to be beaten vigorously to get more air in them than scrambled eggs or omelets. That allows for a deeper filling and a fluffier frittata." Nonna smiled. "My arthritis makes my hands a little stiff. I don't get to cook for so many people any more. Danny's Mom does all the hosting now, even when we all eat here."

"Can I help too?" A sleepy Grace asked as she entered the kitchen.

"Of course, Mi Amore." Nonna ran her hand over Grace's head as the girl hugged her. Go get dressed and come down, you can help us bake the rolls.

"She's a good girl, that one." Nonna commented to Catherine.

"Yes, she is. Steve adores her." Catherine's eyes followed Grace from the room and turned back to Nonna. "We both do."

"It's mutual. She talks about him every time she calls. About both of you. All of Danny's team, actually. She's got a lot of love in her heart, that one. Just like my Danny." Her voice lowered. "Not so much like that … presuntuosi … I'm sorry, I shouldn't, she gave us Grace and she wasn't _so_ bad in the beginning, she just wasn't cut out for… then she not only broke my Danny's heart and married that millionaire stronzo 'medigan, she took Danny's daughter halfway around the world … and … Ahhh, an old lady's ramblings."

Catherine smiled "I doubt you have ever rambled in your life, Nonna."

"I'm glad Danny found a family in Hawaii. He was so angry at first, when he'd call, but I knew he was really just sad. Then he'd call and bitch about Steve. Call him _Potzo,_sorry,_ crazy_."

Catherine laughed and Nonna joined her

"But I knew, I KNEW they had a connection. The ranting changed, he still complained, that's how Danny communicates, but it was different. He complained like he would about Matty" Nonna's eyes darkened for a second then their twinkle returned "…or his sisters. With love. That's when I knew. He'd found a friend, and then a brother. When he stared telling me details about you and the rest of the team, and that Kammy …Kama …"

"Kamekona." Catherine supplied.

"Yes, Kamekona, the one who cooks in volumes like me, my heart could rest. I knew he'd settled."

"We're lucky to have him. Your grandson…he's a good man. When I was stationed overseas and didn't see Steve for months at a time, it always made me feel better knowing Danny was there. That he had Steve's back. Sometimes Steve can be a little, well let's just say, impulsive, and he needs someone like Danny to ground him."

"They make a perfect team then." Nonna smiled as reached for the dough she'd mixed up at daybreak to make sure there were plenty of fresh, homemade rolls on the table for breakfast. She placed it on the counter and turned to Catherine with a smile. "I'm not as strong as I used to be so maybe you can do me a favor and punch down this dough for me. Use some of those self-defense skills Grace is so impressed with."

"I have a sneaking suspicion you're still plenty strong enough to punch down dough." Catherine smiled as she went to work.

"You caught me." Nonna's eyes twinkled. "I want to see your technique. I'm sure your own Grandmother taught you well. I just want to make sure you haven't forgotten how. Someday, you'll be in charge of preparing the big meals for your own children, then grandchildren, then God willing, great grandchildren."

"I think you might be getting a little ahead of yourself." Catherine chuckled.

"Nonsense. I've lived a long time. I can judge lasagna by the smell while it's still in the oven and I can spot true love a mile away. That boy adores you. You, my angel, are destined to be surrounded by a large, happy family. Trust me. I know these things."

Catherine blushed.

/

"Look who I found." Grace sing-songed as she entered the kitchen pulling Steve behind her.

"Good morning." Steve mumbled sleepily. He stopped to give Catherine a kiss on the cheek then dropped down into a seat at the kitchen table.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well? I squeezed some fresh orange juice so let's get you started with that."

"I can get it," Steve insisted. "You don't need to go to any trouble."

"Go get your father, Bambina." Nonna instructed Grace and watched her run off.

"No trouble at all." Nonna brushed him off. "Catherine and Grace are doing all the work. I hope you're hungry."

"After everything I ate last night I thought I'd be full for a week but surprisingly, I am hungry."

Nonna turned to Catherine with a mischievous look. "Gave him a workout, did you? No wonder he slept in."

Steve looked at Catherine, horrified, and she turned crimson.

"I thought you Navy SEALS were used to _calisthenics_?" Nonna teased, chuckling, and handed him a tall glass of juice as Grace bounced back into the kitchen to join Catherine who had busily turned to working on the rolls to avoid Nonna's knowing look.

"Drink. That's a good boy." Nonna put her hand on Steve's head as she stopped to watch Catherine and Grace prepare the rolls to go in the oven. "Aren't they beautiful?"

"Yes, they are." Steve's eyes shown as he gulped a long drink of juice.

"And she's so good with Grace. She'll make a wonderful mother someday." Nonna looked Steve in the eyes "Soon?"

Steve choked.

"Did I miss a seed, dear?" Nonna patted him on the back as he fought to catch his breath.

"Stop torturing Steve, Nonna. He's a guest." Danny laughed from his position in the doorway where he'd been watching the exchange.

"Nonsense. They're _parte della famiglia._" Nonna insisted.

"That means part of the family." Grace announced and Steve couldn't hold back a smile.

"Now, let's get breakfast out of the way, because I'm going to make fresh gravy and I'll need some helpers."

"Oooh me." Grace's hand shot in the air. "Me, too." Catherine raised her hand and giggled, wrapping her arms around Grace.

"Excellent. I'll make a list and the boys can go to the store after breakfast."

/

****Stop & Shop supermarket: Franklin Ave., Nutley, NJ****

Okay, grab like 20 cans of the Rienzi tomatoes and we're done." Danny said. Steve had started tossing them in the cart when they heard a whoop and turned around.

"Holy shit!" A guy about Danny's height with dark hair and a linebacker's build was approaching from the end of the aisle. "I knew it, Danny Williams! I'd know that voice anywhere."

"Joey Ciccarelli!" Danny opened his arms and exchanged a hug with the man.

"Hey, I heard about Matty. That sucks, Man, your poor folks. I see your dad at Tony's barbershop sometimes." He said, by way of explaining how he knew about Danny's brother.

"Thanks, Joey. Yeah, it sucked." Danny shrugged. "But, nothing any of us can do at this point."

"So, what the hell you doin' here? Don't tell me you moved back? Nah, you'd never leave your kid. Vacation?"

Danny nodded. "It's Nonna's 80th so I took Grace here for a few days to see her. Joey, this is my partner, Steve McGarrett. He and his girlfriend got stranded in the city doing a prisoner pick up for extradition and Nonna hijacked them for a few days."

"Sounds like Nonna. Nice to meet you, Steve." Steve extended his hand and Joey took it and pulled him into a hug. "You're in New Jersey, we hug everybody." He laughed. "Danny and I graduated together. His dad told me he was on a special task force there in paradise. He behavin'?"

"Nice to meet you, too, Joey. Yeah, Danny's my partner and we have a team of five. He keeps me up on police procedures."

"Don't listen to him, Man. He's a Navy SEAL, when I met his sorry ass he didn't know a procedure from Adam. Freakin' animal hung a guy off a roof to get a confession." Danny chuckled at the memory. "How are you, Joey? You look great."

"Thanks. I'm still with the Sherriff's Department." Joey turned to Steve. "If our vice-principal could see us now, two cops. We got in our fair share of scrapes back in the middle school days." He pulled out his phone. "Hey, I have a kid now. Gia. She's three. Ain't she gorgeous? Look at that smile!"

"Beautiful. You're lucky, she looks like Lisa." Danny joked. "Here," He pulled out his own phone for a game of proud-dad-show-and-tell "Look at Grace. She gonna be twelve. I can't believe it myself."

"You got kids, Steve?"

"No." Steve shook his head.

"He's Grace's favorite uncle." Danny said proudly, placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "He's got almost as many pictures of her in his phone as I do."

Steve smiled. "She's a great kid."

"Danny said you're here with your girlfriend?" At Steve's nod, Joey continued, "If Nonna has her way, that 'no kid' thing will be 'no kids yet.' My wife sees Nonna at St. Anthony's a lot. That's the neighborhood church. So, right after we get married, Nonna gives Lisa a Saint Gerard medal. Ahhh, I see your_ 'I'm not Italian from New Jersey –what the hell are you talkin' about?'_ look of confusion, my friend. Saint Gerard is the patron saint of expectant mothers. And no, Lisa wasn't pregnant yet. Nonna said 'For the future, just in case.'"

Danny turned to Steve. "Nonna has a saint for everything. Did you notice the statue on the dresser in the guest room?" Steve nodded "That's Saint Florian, patron of firefighters. It's my parents' room when they stay at Nonna's.

Nonna gave me and Rachel a foot-tall Saint Gerard statue as a wedding gift." The men burst out laughing at Steve's look. "That's standard, even though she knows I haven't been in a church in years and Rachel's not Catholic." He looked at Joey. "Steve and Catherine - that's his girlfriend, who, by the way, is on our task force, too - are on Nonna's radar. They ever tie the knot, Nonna may ship them a life-size statue for their garden. Subtlety was never her strong suit"

The men laughed again and chatted for a minute or two before Danny and Joey exchanged cards, promising to keep in touch via email.

/

****Nonna's house****

"I see the closest mall is in … Wayne?" Catherine looked at her phone. "Danny said I could take the rental. Nonna, do you mind if I run out for an hour or so? Steve and I expected to be away one night and we don't have enough clothes, even if we do laundry a few times. We could make do if we had to, but I'd like to at least get some more" …she searched for an appropriate word "underclothes."

"_Underclothes_?" Nonna smiled. "Bella, you're adorable. Go. It's ten minutes on Route 3 to Route 46 West. Willobrook Mall. We'll start the gravy when you get back."

Catherine kissed Nonna's cheek. "Thank you." Steve and Danny were entering from the store. "Danny, can I take the car now?" She turned to Steve "I'm going to get some stuff at the mall to hold us over. Wanna come?" Knowing the answer, Catherine smirked at his look. "That's what I thought. I'll be back in a couple of hours." She caught the keys Danny tossed her way and was out the door.

"Nonna, can we play cards while we wait for Catherine to get back from the mall?" Grace asked excitedly as she entered the kitchen. "I've been practicing with the cards you sent me. I'm getting better."

"Of course we can play, Bella. Get the cards from the drawer. You know which one."

Grace disappeared and came back a few seconds later waving a deck of cards. "Nonna is teaching me to play Tressette over skype." She explained to Steve. "She even sent me a deck of special Italian playing cards…just like these." Grace held up Nonna's well-worn deck.

"That sounds like fun." Steve smiled at Grace.

"We'll play teams," Nonna said as she placed the last of the ingredients she'd need for gravy on the counter. "Grace and me against you boys."

"Nonna, I'd love to but I have no idea how…." Steve started.

"None of us do." Danny said. "Only Nonna. I've been playing this game with her since I was Grace's age and I still couldn't tell you the actual rules."

"Luckily your daughter is a much better student of the game." Nonna said. "_She _takes it seriously. Not like you…always getting distracted by a football game or a pretty girl. Now, take a seat."

Ninety minutes later Steve and Danny had lost eight straight games.

"We win again." Grace raised her arms in celebration.

"I think you padded the score on that last hand." Danny said skeptically.

"No we didn't." Grace giggled. "I had a Napoletana so we got three extra points."

"I actually think I'm starting to catch on." Steve studied the special 40 card deck in the middle of the table. "Once you get used to swords, batons, cups and coins rather than hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades…then highest card takes the trick."

"_Suck up_." Danny muttered under his breath.

"Exactly, Steven. Such a smart boy. Now, Grace will have someone to practice with at home." She turned to Danny with an affectionate smile. "If only you would apply yourself like your partner you'd be an expert by now."

"Don't let him fool you, Nonna." Danny rolled his eyes. "If the cards didn't have swords he wouldn't be nearly as interested. Grace, Catherine should be back soon. Why don't you go wash up and get ready to make gravy."

/

Thirty minutes later, Catherine bustled into the house and called, "I'm back!" before heading straight upstairs. She was putting her go bag on the bed when she heard Steve enter and close the door behind him.

"You got me a surprise?" His grin was that of a little boy as he eyed the large bag.

She scoffed playfully. "Why should I get you a surprise? You didn't even want to come along."

"Nonna said I'd like what you bought. Figured I'd come see what it was…"

"Nonna said what? I didn't tell her what I…" Catherine started and burst out laughing "Oh … I…" The rest of her words were lost in laughter.

"What?" Steve took the shopping bag and looked through the contents. It held smaller bags from various stores: GAP; where she'd gotten a few T-shirts for each of them; a couple of pairs of socks for each from Macy's; a package of boxer briefs and a pair of cargoes for Steve; and jeans for herself.

He looked up curiously "Cath? What's so funn…" Steve couldn't hold back the bark of laughter that bubbled up from his chest or the color that reached his ears at what his best friend's 80 year old grandmother had meant. He held up the pink striped bag and winked. "Ah, I see."

"You will." She grinned and took the Victoria's Secret bag "But it's not like it's anything …_special_." Catherine wiped her eyes, still chuckling at Nonna. She literally had three pair of underwear with her and one was only appropriate for the night they'd spent in the Manhattan hotel. And she was adding exactly none of them to Nonna's wash basket.

Steve snatched the bag back. "Why don't you let _me_ judge what qualifies as special..." Steve leered at her and looked inside. "Jeez, Cath, are we moving in?"

"Oh, shush, there was a sale." She smiled. "I didn't buy that many."

"Hey, not complaining … more choices to judge from…" Steve grinned wickedly, sat on the edge of the bed and reached for her hand to draw her closer.

She backed away after kissing him lightly. "Patience, Commander." She nodded at the packages on the bed. "Put your stuff away. I'll meet you downstairs."

With a renewed chuckle at Nonna, Steve watched her slip out and close the door.

/

Danny grabbed two forks and slipped in between Nonna and Catherine to stab a fried meatball on each. "Food of the Gods!" Nonna smiled at him. "Cath, this was our appetizer when I was a kid. We'd pass through the kitchen on Sundays before dinner and Nonna would appease us with a fried meatball on a fork." He planted a kiss on his grandmother's cheek. "Taste this, Steve; tell me it's not to die for."

"It kept you quiet until the macaroni was ready." Nonna placed a hand on Danny's cheek. "Always in charge, my Danny. You'd tell the other kids they had to wait till you checked the area for bad guys, and then you'd barrel in here with a water pistol and make the kitchen safe for the citizens of Nutley." Nonna smiled at the memory of nine year old Danny. "Once a policeman, always a policeman."

"So I've heard." Steve agreed, not elaborating because he didn't want to bring up Matty, but thinking of his partner cuffing his little brother to the monkey cage at the zoo.

"You know, Danny was a policeman every year for Halloween from the time he could talk." Nonna told them. "His father was so disappointed. He'd bought him a little firefighter costume and Danny just looked at him with those blue eyes and said 'But I'm a policeman, Daddy.'"

Danny laughed. "I don't remember that."

"Because you were about three." Nonna told him. "So cute, even then I couldn't resist those blue eyes." Danny gave her a hug.

"That's adorable, Nonna" Catherine smiled. "Hey, you don't have any pictures, do you?"

"Pictures? Bella, I have albums." Nonna announced.

Grace giggled. "Danno, I wanna see you dressed up for Halloween."

"I was extremely handsome and an excellent detective…" Danny announced with a grin.

"And clearly modest…" Steve snarked at his partner.

"You know what, Steven? I seem to recall hearing someone dressed as G.I. Joe till he was … what, twelve?" Danny shot back with a smirk. "… and yet you mock me when I say 'Army'."

"Because it's _Navy_! And who told you…" he turned to Catherine who was laughing and holding her hands up in a not me gesture.

"Kamekona." Steve shook his head. "He apparently asked Doris for photos. Clearly he didn't realize…" Steve's eyes darkened for a second and just as quickly regained their spark. "Anyway, after that calendar shot, partner, nothing Nonna has can be more embarrassing, right?"

/

****After dinner, later that evening****

"Steve, come help me while Danny puts Grace to bed." Nonna stood. "I need to move some boxes in the basement."

"I can help, too." Catherine stood.

"Shush. Relax, go take a shower. Steve can help me. You did a lot of the cooking."

Steve looked at Danny who silently motioned for him to go and not argue. "Okay, Nonna, lead the way."

In the basement, Steve was amused to see it once housed a complete kitchen and sitting area, along with an area that was for storage and one for laundry.

Nonna saw him surveying the area. "We used to eat down here on Sundays, when my kids were little. All the Italian families had a second kitchen in the basement. Now, if you can grab these trunks…"

Steve moved three steamer trunks that Nonna had designated. "I'll go through them for goodwill and garbage. I just couldn't get to them back there. Thank you, Sweetheart."

"No problem, Nonna." Steve smiled.

Nonna sat on the sofa and patted the seat. "Sit."

"Are you alright?" Steve looked concerned.

"Me? I'm fine. I just want to talk to you for a minute."

Steve looked wary "Um…okay."

"Steve. I don't pretend to know all your business, but Danny talks about you all the time. He worries, my Danny. Now if you tell him I said that, I'll deny it."

Steve smiled. "Danny's a good friend. And if you tell him I said _that_, I'll deny it, too. But I'm fine, Nonna, and I promise I'd never do anything to endanger Danny's life. Especially because he has Gracie."

"No. Steve. You're misunderstanding, me. I know you aren't reckless with Danny's life, or the lives of your team. I just … look; I'm an old lady so I'm blunt. Especially when I care. I feel like I know you, you're family, so I'm just going to say this."

"Nonna?'

"It's not your fault."

"What?" Steve had no idea where Nonna was headed with this

"Your mother. What she did. Leaving for all those years. Putting your father in the position where he had to make a decision like that. It's not your fault, and neither is anything that's happened to your family since."

"Nonna, I know that, I was a kid, I…"

Nonna placed a hand on Steve's cheek. "I know you know it here, Nipote. She touched his forehead. "But do you know it here?" She moved her hand down to tap his heart and looked into his eyes.

Steve's breath caught in his throat and for a moment he couldn't speak. "I… no one but Catherine's ever… thank you."

"I've seen a lot of things, young man. What your mother did, I can't fathom. Even under the worst circumstances, but then leaving again after coming back? That was unfair. Again. To you, to your sister. But nothing you did, especially wanting to know the truth, caused that. That was her decision.

I am so, so sorry for how you grew up. Too soon. Feeling alone. You deserved better then. You deserve better now. People love you, Steven. Catherine, Danny, your team. Grace worships you. Don't you for one second think you don't deserve it. You're a good man, Steve McGarrett and every once in a while, well… you call Nonna, okay? I just want to make sure you're alright."

Steve nodded, unable to speak.

"Good. Now, enough of this. Let's get back upstairs, you're still jetlagged and need some rest, and this old body's tired."

Nonna reached out for help getting off the old, overstuffed sofa and Steve took her hand. When she stood, she caught him in a hug and smiled when he hugged her back like a child, like her kids did when they were little and needed comfort. In her mind's eye, she saw Steve as a kid, lost in a confusing world of adult intrigue, separated from his family and his home, and she just held him for a few seconds longer. Then the moment passed and before her again, wearing a smile that lit his hazel eyes from within, was a strong and confident Steve McGarrett, and she patted his arm. "Oh wait, one more thing while I've got you here, can I bother you to help me get a few things from the high cupboards?"

/

"Hey, Danny." Catherine said as she entered the living room towel drying her hair. "Grace asleep?" She took a seat on the couch across from Danny who was slouched comfortably in an armchair, feet up on the coffee table.

"She was out the minute her head hit the pillow. Well actually that's not the truth. She was awake just long enough to ask if we could go 'down the shore' tomorrow because Uncle Steve and Aunty Cath just _have_ to see the Jersey Shore. She was excited about coming to New Jersey to begin with, and then when the two of you turned up … well … everything is just off the charts now."

"She's such a great kid, Danny. I'd love to see the beaches here and I'm sure Steve will too. You know he'd do anything for Grace, and besides that, it sounds like fun."

Danny smiled at her. "Just think…if we hadn't hijacked you and brought to New Jersey you could have been spending a long weekend in Manhattan with your boyfriend. Shopping, shows, museums, spas …"

"That definitely sounds like fun." Catherine nodded. "But there's no question I'd rather be here."

"That's very sweet of you, Cath, but you don't have to say that."

"I'm not just saying it; I mean it. We had a great night Thursday. We saw a play, had a wonderful dinner, Steve actually sprung for the Ritz-Carlton, but Nonna is great … more than great actually. It's been ages since I've eaten so well or been so relaxed. And I definitely can't remember the last time I saw Steve this relaxed. Your Nonna is like a magic elixir, Danny."

"She would be ecstatic if she heard you say that."

"It's true. And there's something about this house." Catherine looked around as if trying to memorize every detail.

"I know what you mean. I don't get back as often as I'd like to but I do love it here."

"It's a real family home, you know?"Catherine said earnestly. "There's a lifetime of memories here. Albums full of pictures of family standing right in this very room. That's really … comforting."

Danny noticed Catherine's eyes getting glassy. He stood up and moved over to sit down beside her on the couch. "Your grandparents didn't live in one place their whole lives?" He asked quietly.

"No. I come from a long line of military men. My family was never the kind to put down roots."

Danny dropped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her. "But you're changing all that now. So your children and grandchildren and _great_ grandchildren will have a place to come home to. A warm and sandy place."

"You're channeling, Nonna." Catherine laughed.

"There are worse things." Danny smiled back at her. "Besides, Nonna is crazy about you. She's just gonna fold you into the family and you'll never know what hit you. Expect to be invited for holidays and family occasions. And let me tell you, Nonna does not take no for an answer."

"I'll look forward to it." Catherine said sincerely.

"You say that now, but when Nonna, my aunts, my mother and half a dozen cousins have you cornered and are peppering you with questions about marriage and kids you'll be singing a different tune."

"Who will be singing a different tune?" Nonna asked as she and Steve entered the living room.

"I was just telling Catherine how loud and chaotic this house gets during the holidays." Danny said.

"She can see for herself." Nonna smiled. "When she and this handsome one come for Christmas."

/

****Guest room****

Catherine came out of the bathroom after brushing her teeth and saw Steve sitting up in bed, deep in thought.

"Everything okay?" She asked as she took off her jewelry and placed it on the dresser.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I was just thinking about my talk with Nonna."

"Wanna tell me about it?"

"Someday. But not right now. Right now, I believe I have some underwear choices to judge." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"I don't know, Commander." Catherine said as she perched on the side of the bed. "Grace has a big day planned tomorrow. You might need all the rest you can get."

"I'll take my chances." Steve said as he turned off the bedside light and pulled Catherine towards him.

/

****Point Pleasant Beach, NJ****

"Danno likes the beaches better in Hawaii." Grace stage-whispered as they waited for her dad to lock the car.

"I don't like the beach _anywhere_, I love _you_, and hence, we got up at 7:00 to leave by 7:30 to beat the ten million cars doing the 'Garden State Parkway Shuffle' to get down here so we can show your Uncle Steve and Aunty Catherine the shore. It has nothing to do with the water." Danny retorted with a smile. "Ready?"

"Twenty five." The skinny kid sitting on the lawn chair at the edge of the beach front lot held out his hand.

"You're kidding." Steve looked at Danny.

"Welcome to New Jersey, Steve." Danny fished out s few bills and paid the kid.

Up on the boardwalk, there were throngs of beach-goers lined up at a small booth waiting to buy beach badges. "Jesus, Danny, another ten bucks? Each?" Steve looked at Catherine who was shaking her head with a smile.

"Okay, get a spot, guys. Grace, Nonna said I can buy a suit on the boardwalk, wanna help me pick one out?"

"Sure!" Grace reached for Catherine's hand, and then turned away. "Hey. How come Uncle Steve has a suit if you were gonna be here one day?"

"Because your Uncle Steve always has a suit in his go bag in case the hotel has a pool in their gym."

"And I'm prepared, aren't I?" Steve grinned.

"Like you left the room to use the gym…" Danny snickered so only Steve could hear. "C'mon lets go. Cath, we'll be right by the lifeguards okay?"

"We'll be fifteen minutes, tops." Catherine grabbed Grace's offered hand and ducked into the store on the Boardwalk.

/

Catherine flipped quickly through the rack of bikinis looking for something suitable. She wasn't concerned about making a fashion statement; she just wanted something serviceable for the unexpected day on the beach. She pulled two suits off and held them up for Grace's inspection. "Which one do like better, Grace? Purple or green?"

"You should get the purple one. Uncle Steve likes you in purple."

Catherine smiled. "What makes you say that?"

"Last week, when you wore that purple shirt to the movies, I told Uncle Steve I thought it was pretty and he said it was his favorite, too."

Catherine smiled, remembering how that particular purple shirt was currently in the laundry basket, minus several buttons that had been lost in Steve's haste to get it off her that night. She made a mental note to search for buttons when she got home. "Okay then, purple it is." She grabbed a pair of cotton shorts off a display table. "Just let me pay for these, then I'll get changed real quick and we'll get back to the beach."

Catherine paid for the suit and asked the clerk if she could duck into the dressing room and change. Five minutes later she had her new suit on with the shorts over the bottoms and was ready to go. She found Grace looking intently at a rack of sparkly sunglasses. "Those are pretty."

"I like the sparkles."

"Me too. Do you think we should get a pair?"

"Danno says you and Uncle Steve shouldn't spoil me."

"I'm not spoiling you. This is a thank you for helping me pick out a suit. Besides it's buy one get one half price. I'm going to get purple." Catherine pulled the purple pair from the rack and put them on.

"I think I like the yellow. But you don't need to buy them for me."

"I know. But I want to. Let's pay for these and go find Danno and Uncle Steve."

Five minutes later they exited the store hand in hand, matching grins as bright as the sparkly sunglasses they wore.

/

"Those look great."

Catherine turned to see a college-age guy smiling at her. He had spiked hair and wore boardies and sneakers that had the laces tucked in. His arms were tattooed with sleeves depicting monsters.

"Excuse me?"

"The sunglasses. Purple's your color." His eyes took in more than her sunglasses and Cath scoffed. "Thanks." She attempted to walk around him, still holding Grace's hand, but he turned and fell in step beside them.

"You're not from here." He made a statement, not a question.

"**I** was born here." Grace informed him. "We moved though." Seeing an opportunity, he smiled at Grace.

"That so?"

"Yeah."

"Well, my friends and I," He indicated three other young men standing near the ramp that led off the boardwalk and onto the sand. "We're goin' to a lifeguard party later." He gave Catherine his best smile. "If you wanna go, I mean, it's at ten. You could drop your little sister off and meet us. Are you here with family or friends?"

"My sister, huh?"

"Yeah, sorry, no kids."

Just then Grace gave Cath's hand a tug and nodded imperceptibly toward the beach, smiling. Following Grace's eyes, Cath suppressed a laugh.

"So, what do you say? Hey, maybe I can show you around…" he stepped in front of Catherine and began walking backward so he could face her.

"Sorry, I don't think so." Catherine told him.

"Aww, c'mon, at least let me walk you back to your blanket…" Just then the kid turned around and walked straight into the rock hard wall that was Steve McGarrett. "Sorry, dude, I was just…"

Steve side stepped the kid and snaked his arm around Catherine's waist, and the young man paled a bit beneath his tan. "Yeah, I see what you were just. I think your friends are waiting." Steve lifted his chin in the direction of the three guys doubling up with laughter at their friend's look.

"Sorry. Hey," He turned to Catherine "The sunglasses really do look pretty. I … thought you were in coll … guess you're uh, not." He was still talking as he walked away.

"You scared him." Catherine teased.

"Ya think?" Danny came up laughing. "Jeez, that was priceless. I wish I'd filmed it."

"Shut up, Danno." Steve smirked as Danny chuckled and Grace giggled.

"He thought we were _sisters_! Isn't that _cool_?"

"No!" Steve and Danny said together.

"Yes." Catherine smiled at Grace, knowing it made her feel grown up.

Still giggling, Grace grabbed Danny's hand and led him to see the hermit crab display.

"_College_?" Steve raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Jealous?" Catherine teased.

"Damn straight." Steve grinned.

She smiled. "Don't need to be."

"No?"

"Nope. Not of a college kid." Steve raised his eyebrows "Or anyone else. Any more than I do of the McGarrett fan club."

"Touché." Steve placed a kiss on her temple. "C'mon, let's catch up." They walked a few steps before Steve said "I like the suit, by the way. Purple's nice." Catherine grinned and took his hand.

/

****On the Beach****

"Wow it's cold! I don't remember it being so cold." Grace's teeth were chattering but she'd remained in the water with Steve for an hour, while Danny sat on the blanket with Catherine few yards back from the edge.

"You're just used to the Pacific, Gracie, here; Nonna sent a ton of towels. Wrap up." Catherine held one out.

"This was fun, wasn't it?" Grace said as flopped down on the blanket beside Danno.

"It was as fun as a day at the beach can be, Monkey."

"We have to get something to eat on the boardwalk, and I think we should get Nonna something. And I want some ice cream." Grace chattered on excitedly. "What should we eat for dinner?"

"Whatever you want." Steve smiled as he ruffled Grace's hair.

/

After a day in the cold, rough surf, they had 'boardwalk pizza' because Danny refused to let them fly home until Steve admitted no place on earth had pizza like Joey Tomatoes on the boardwalk.

The boardwalk was full of stands: food; rides; games of chance and Grace wanted to try them all.

"Okay, Monkey. That Kohr's ice cream is it for tonight." Danny smiled at his daughter. "No one comes down the shore without having a Kohr's." He told Steve and Catherine as Grace ate the vanilla and orange-cream swirled cone. "Kohr's was the first ice cream Grace ever had in a cone. She was one, and she wore more than she ate." Danny smiled at the memory.

"Question, Danny?" Catherine asked while Steve grabbed the hand that was holding her ice cream cone and pulling it forward, took a bite. "Hey! I told you to get your own!" She gently shoved him away and turned back to Danny "Why do you say 'down the shore?' When we got here you said 'on the beach' what's the difference?"

"Ahhh an age old question…"

"Jesus, Cath, you really needed to get him started?" Steve asked and Grace giggled.

"I want to know."

"As I was saying …" Danny continued, "_Down the shore _refers to the entire costal area. You can come down the shore without going on the actual beach. It's the _atmosphere_ of the shore towns, the food, the boardwalks, and the summer. _The beach _means the _actual_ beach. No one in New Jersey ever says they're going 'to the beach' unless they're already here. Like 'I'm going to the beach once I get down the shore.'"

"Yeah, _that_ makes perfect sense." Steve scoffed but Grace knew he was just teasing Danno and giggled again.

"Says the man who speaks pidgin, excuse me, _bird_."

"That's different"

"Like hell."

"Danno!"

"Sorry, Monkey, heck."

"Bird is a mixture of different languages."

"And this state is populated by generations of immigrants, we have our own vernacular. Like people who live down the shore year-round call summer people _Bennies_, it stands for Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark, and New York but really includes all of North Jersey. See, we clog up traffic and stuff but without us Bennies, the shore would have no revenue. One of New Jersey's biggest money makers is tourism; most of the tourists at the shore are from other parts of New Jersey and P.A."

Steve gave up. "Okay I got it. We've been _down the shore_. Gotta say it's not what I expected. It's fun. Must be the company." He grabbed Grace's free hand and held it. Her infectious smile caused everyone to grin in return.

"We should get back, Monkey. One last game and that's it." Danny told Grace who was bouncing in place.

"Awww okay, but win me a prize, Danno?"

"Babe, we have to take whatever we win on the plane. Something small, okay?"

"Okay. I want that monkey." She spotted a stuffed monkey on a clip. "I can hang him on my book bag."

Danny made short work of shooting the star out of a paper target and earning a large prize. Since Grace wanted the smaller monkey, they got two and she turned and gave one to the little girl who was watching the game with her grandmother. Danny beamed with pride.

"Hey, Uncle Steve, you have to win Aunty Catherine something!"

"What exciting carnival prize would you like, Catherine?" Steve teased.

"How about a CD?" Catherine chuckled. Steve's competitive edge was out and Grace was dragging him to the firing line. She tugged his hand and he bent down to her level.

"I know she could win her own, but _you_ have to get her a prize on the boardwalk, you just have to." Grace whispered.

Steve grinned. "Okay, Gracie." He winked. "She definitely deserves a prize." He looked over his shoulder at Catherine who smiled in return.

Five minutes later, Steve handed Catherine her CD and whispered "You didn't get a prize for letting me judge your _purchases_ last night."

"Oh … I'm pretty sure I did, Commander." She purred in his ear, and in a normal tone for Grace to hear, she added "Thanks, every time I listen, it'll remind me of this weekend at Nonna's."

/

**Rental Car, en route to the Garden State Parkway**

"That was the best day _ever_." Grace said as she climbed into the back seat of the rental. "Wasn't that the best day _ever_, Danno? Wasn't it Uncle Steve? You think it was, don't you Aunty Cath?"

"It was definitely a fun day, Monkey, but I think you might have had a little too much sugar."

"No way." Catherine said as she flopped into the back seat beside Grace. "It wasn't the sugar. This really was a _super_ fun day."

Steve laughed from the front passenger seat as he watched Catherine and Grace fist bump. "Coming here was a great idea, Gracie. I'm glad you suggested it."

Grace beamed. She loved getting compliments from her favorite Uncle. "It's still gonna be early when we get back to Nonna's. Can we watch a movie? Please!"

"Are you sure you're not tired?" Danny asked.

"No, I'm not tired. What movie should we watch? What do you want to see, Uncle Steve?"

"You did such a great job picking where we should go today, Gracie, I think you should get to pick the movie."

"Which one should we pick Aunty Cath? I think it should be something Nonna will like too."

"Wait, wait, wait." Steve teased from the front seat. "I said I think _you _should pick out the movie. If you get Aunty Cath involved I'm gonna end up watching _The Notebook_ again."

"That's a good movie, Uncle Steve." Grace defended both the movie and her Aunt's taste.

"But I've already seen it twice, Gracie. Don't make me watch it a third time. Plus, I had to ride in the passenger seat today and you know how I hate it when I can't drive. Pleeease not _The Notebook_."

"What should we do?" Grace leaned in and whispered in Catherine's ear.

"Let's let him off the hook. Just this once." Catherine said.

"Okay, how about _The Sound of Music_? Nonna loves that movie."

"That's a great choice." Catherine smiled.

"What's _The Sound of Music_ about?" Steve asked.

"You're gonna wish it was _The Notebook_." Danny chuckled as he merged onto the Parkway and headed home.

/

**Nonna's house **

Danny helped Nonna get settled in her favorite recliner while he waited for everyone to settle down and get ready to watch _The Sound of Music_.

"There's singing in this movie?" Steve perused the CD cover for information.

"On my, yes," Nonna smiled. "Lots and lots of singing. You'll recognize the songs, dear boy. They're classics."

Steve turned pleading eyes to Catherine. "You're the one who didn't want to watch _The Notebook_." She whispered.

Graced bounded into the room carrying a nail file and some pink nail polish as Danny took his place in the room's other recliner. Catherine was sitting on the end of the couch with Steve beside her. Grace sat down next to Steve. "Will you paint my fingernails and toenails while we watch the movie, Aunty Cath?"

"Absolutely. As long as it's okay with your dad."

"Can she, Danno? Please. It's just regular pink."

"It's fine with me but maybe Aunty Cath needs a break?" He glanced at her over Grace's head.

"No. I'd be happy to." Cath assured him.

"Do you want me to move?" Steve asked as Grace handed Cath the supplies.

"No, you can be the table," Grace giggled as she slipped off her shoes and put her feet across Steve's lap.

/

"One more coat should do it." Catherine said as Julie Andrews sang _The Lonely Goatherd_ with Nonna humming along.

"You still awake over there, Steve?" Danny asked with a chuckle.

"Yes. I'm actually enjoying the movie." Steve lied, then admitted "Nonna was right, I do recognize these songs."

"You're a good boy, Steven." Nonna beamed.

"Suck up." Danny mocked his partner jovially.

"Besides, these two," He indicated Grace and Catherine, "look like they're up to something. If I close my eyes for even a second I may wake up with pink nails."

/

**Later:**

"Okay that's it." Danny said as the credits on the movie rolled. "Time for bed. Uncle Steve and Aunty Catherine have to get up early to make it into the city in time for court."

"I can't believe it's time for the two of you to leave already." Nonna said. "It seems like you just got here. It has been such a pleasure to have you, to meet Danny and Grace's other family in person."

"We've enjoyed it too, Nonna." Steve smiled brightly.

"Definitely." Catherine agreed. "Thank you for making us feel so welcome in your home."

"Any time, Bella. Any time at all. In fact, consider this an open invitation to come back whenever you want."

"We may just take you up on that." Steve said as he stood from the couch and held out his hand to help Nonna out of the recliner.

"I'll hold you to it then." She said as she pulled him into a tight hug, before turning to hug Catherine as well. "Both of you."

"Say goodnight, Monkey."

"Night Uncle Steve. Night Aunty Catherine." She said as hugged them both. She turned to her great grandmother. "Night, Nonna."

"Goodnight." Nonna returned the hug. "I still have a few more days with you and your father before you have to fly back as well. I intend to make the most of them."

"That scares me a little." Danny mumbled to Steve and Catherine before heading out to tuck Grace in.

Steve held out his arm and escorted Nonna to her room before he and Catherine made their way to theirs.

/

**Monday morning:**

"I made you a little something for the plane ride." Nonna said, handing Catherine a bag of homemade treats. She wasn't sure exactly what was in it but it smelled heavenly.

"Thank you." Catherine and Steve said in unison.

"And you remember what I said about coming back."

"We will." Steve promised. Nonna opened her arms and Steve wrapped her in a tight hug. It seemed like maybe the New Jersey way was rubbing off on him a little. "You're a good boy, Steven. You deserve to be happy. Remember that."

Nonna turned to Catherine. "You take care of yourself, beautiful girl. And keep an eye on these two for me." She indicated Steve and Danny. "Make sure they don't get themselves into trouble."

"I'll do my best," Catherine smiled.

"We better get going." Danny looked at his watch. "Traffic is gonna be heavy and you still need to catch a cab from port authority to the court house after I drop you off."

"Bye, Uncle Steve." Grace wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "Have a safe trip."

"We will, Gracie. We'll see you back home in a couple of days."

"Bye, Aunty Cath." Catherine leaned over and hugged Grace tightly. "Thanks again for the earrings and the sunglasses."

"You're very welcome. When you get home you, me, and Kono will go out somewhere and we'll all wear our new earrings."

"Yea! Thanks."

Steve and Catherine followed Danny out to the rental car while Nonna and Grace waved from the doorway.

"Both of you. Remember to call Nonna every now and then."

****Taxi from Port Authority to Court House****

"What'd Nonna send? " Steve asked after they'd settled in for the ride.

"Let's see, pastries, cookies and…this." Catherine held up a little bundle wrapped in tissue paper.

"What's that?"

"I have no idea." She handed it to Steve and put the food back into the bag. "Open it."

Steve unwrapped the little bundle and found a note.

"What's in it?" Catherine leaned in to see. When they did, they exchanged a glance and a smile. "God, she's adorable. Gimme, I'll put them in my purse."

Steve handed them over and she tucked them away. Then, softly, he whispered. "For the future."

"What?" Distracted, she hadn't heard.

"Oh, the note, it says, 'These are for your dresser at home. St. Michael is to keep you safe. He's the patron saint of police officers. The other is Saint Gerard. Keep him too, for the future. Love and kisses, darlings, Nonna.'

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Thanks for reading!

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_AN #2 _

_I grew up ½ block from Newark, NJ and every phrase and experience in Nonna's house and 'down the shore' are 100% authentic. Props to Peter Lenkov, the Hawaii Five-0 writers and to Scott Caan for making Danno the best Jerseyan on TV. –_ _And to Sammy for her always getting Danny's voice just right, enough that I complemented her and all this began :) – Mari_

_._


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